• Source: Celts offer Wallace deal

  Philadelphia Daily News - Found 18 hours ago ... by adding Artest to a roster that already included All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Instead, injuries kept Yao and McGrady on the bench as... Report: Celtics Offer Wallace a Contract - ABC News Celtics reportedly offer contract to Rasheed - MSNBC Wallace receptive to Celtics' pitch - SI.com Celtics give 'Sheed the full-court press - SI.com Explore All

  Detroit News

• Artest Says He Is Leaving Rockets for Lakers

  New York Times - Found Jul. 2, 2009 He helped lead the Rockets to a 53-29 record, despite the loss of Tracy McGrady to a knee injury. Artest bolsters Lakers with Ariza on way out - CNN NBA free agency: Trevor Ariza verbally agrees to sign with Houston ... - ESPN.com Rockets agree on multiyear deal with Ariza - CBSSports Sources: Ariza verbally agrees to Rockets deal - ESPN.com Explore All

  MyFox Houston

• It's not just for money with Kidd

  Newsday - Found Jul. 1, 2009 ... possible option, including, according to a source, what the Rockets intend to do with injured all-star Tracy McGrady, who has one year left at... It's not just for money, if Kidd comes to Knicks - Newsday It's not just for money, if Kidd comes to Knicks - Individual.com Explore All

  Newsday

• Yao?s Injury News Shakes The Rockets? Foundation

  New York Times - Found Jun. 30, 2009 Houston, built upon the marquee cornerstone names of Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest, may not have any of them when next season begins, John Lopez: Rockets must cease Yao-injury denial, chart rebuilding ... - SI.com China Dubious That Yao Ming Could Be Out of the Game - Time China Fears Yao Ming Injury Could End His Career - Time The News on Yao Shakes The Rockets Foundation - New York Times Explore All

  Lexington Herald Leader

• Reports: Yao's foot injury has season, career in jeopardy

  USA Today - Found Jun. 30, 2009 ... expect Tracy McGrady to miss at least the first half of next season after microfracture surgery on his left knee. Houston acquired McGrady in a... Yao injury could be career-threatening, says doctor - Reuters Reports: Yao might miss season - CBSSports Reports: Injury could cost Yao Ming season, longer - ESPN Yao?s Foot Injury Threatens His Career - New York Times Explore All

  Breitbart.com

• CARLOS BELTRAN'S SEASON (CAREER?) COULD HINGE ON DIAGNOSIS

  New York Post - Found Jun. 30, 2009 ... end to get another look.' Among the notable NBA players to have the surgery are Amar'e Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, Jason Kidd and former Knicks... MLB blog: 2nd opinion on Beltran's knee is optimistic - NBC Sports Mets star Beltran expected to return in 3-4 weeks - SI.com For Beltran, a Second Opinion on His Knee - New York Times Beltran in Vail, and He's Not There to Ski - New York Times Explore All

  TSN

• Report: Yao may miss most of 2009-10 season

  SI.com - Found Jun. 29, 2009 By SI.com Staff The Rockets may have a lot more to worry about next season than when All-Star guard Tracy McGrady returns from microfracture knee Yao's season, career may be in jeopardy - USA Today Yao reportedly could miss season with broken foot - Miami Herald Rockets' Yao Ming reportedly may miss 2009-10 season - Seattle Times Broken foot could end Yao's career: report - AFP via Yahoo! Explore All

  Town Hall

• Yaos broken foot still hasn't healed

  Houston Chronicle - Found Jun. 25, 2009 We?re hoping Tracy (McGrady) can come back and play at an All-Star level like we know he is capable, but we?re dealing with uncertainty... Rockets say Yao out indefinitely, foot yet to heal - Reuters UK Yao's hairline fracture not healing - Miami Herald Report: Ming's foot fracture not healed - UPI Rockets say Yao out indefinitely, foot yet to heal - Reuters Canada Explore All

  MyFox Houston

• NBA Survivor: An Off-Season Parody! Part 3; Dissent in the Ranks!

  FOXSports.com - Found Jun. 22, 2009 Wade Carmelo Anthony Allen Iverson Chauncey Billups Tim Duncan Kevin Garnett Paul Pierce Yao Ming Tracy McGrady Manu Ginobili NBA Stars of...

• NBA Survivor: An Off-Season Parody! Part 2

  FOXSports.com - Found Jun. 20, 2009 Wade Carmelo Anthony Allen Iverson Chauncey Billups Tim Duncan Kevin Garnett Paul Pierce Yao Ming Tracy McGrady Manu Ginobili Gilbert Arenas...

Tracy McGrady

Houston Rockets – No. 1
Shooting guard / Small forward
Born: May 24, 1979 (1979-05-24) (age 30) Bartow, Florida
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight	223 lb (101 kg)
League	NBA
High school	Mount Zion Christian Academy
Draft	9th overall, 1997 Toronto Raptors
Pro career	1997–present
Former teams	Toronto Raptors (1997–2000) Orlando Magic (2000–2004)
Awards	7-time All-Star 7-time All-NBA Selection 2000–01 NBA Most Improved Player 2-time NBA Scoring Champion
Profile	Info Page

Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr. (born May 24, 1979, in Bartow, Florida) is an American professional basketball player, currently playing at shooting guard for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He can also play as a Small forward/point forward, and is commonly referred to as "T-Mac."

Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2004. McGrady was ranked #75 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 Players of All-Time in 2003. McGrady's style of play has been compared to that of George Gervin.¹

Tracy McGrady played high school basketball at Auburndale High School in Auburndale, Florida for three years. He then transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy, in Durham, North Carolina. McGrady created a national buzz after his performance in the Adidas ABCD Camp, where the best high school players in the U.S. are invited annually. He was named High School Player of the Year by USA Today.

NBA career

Toronto Raptors (1997–2000)

McGrady was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Chicago Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause had arranged a draft-day trade to send Scottie Pippen to the Vancouver Grizzlies for the fourth overall selection, which he would have used to draft McGrady. Krause was forced to call off the deal when Michael Jordan threatened to retire if it was made.^{citation needed}

In McGrady's first two seasons with the Raptors, he averaged less than 10 points per game, mainly coming off the bench. In his second season, he began playing alongside his third cousin, Vince Carter, who would go on to win the Rookie of the Year Award that season. The 1999–2000 season was McGrady's first breakout season in the NBA. He was a starter in 34 games out of 79, averaging 15.4 points per game, and a career-high 1.9 blocks per game. McGrady also competed in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, finishing third, behind Carter and Steve Francis.

In 2000, the duo of McGrady and Carter helped lead the Raptors to the playoffs, for the first time in franchise history. However, the team was swept 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round. McGrady was often overshadowed by Carter during his time in Toronto, and he became a free agent in the summer of 2000. In the off-season, he expressed interest in playing for family and friends in his home state of Florida.

Orlando Magic (2000–2004)

On August 3, 2000, McGrady was dealt to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal. In Orlando, he played alongside Grant Hill, who had been acquired that summer in hope of bringing Orlando back among the Eastern Conference's elite teams. However, ankle injury limited Hill to only 4 games and McGrady became the leader and 1st scoring option of the team. For the first time in his career McGrady was selected as an All-Star when he was voted by the fans to start in the midseason classic for the Eastern Conference. At season's end he was presented with the 2001 NBA Most Improved Player Award. Even though McGrady had elevated his game from solid contributor to star, the Magic were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The following season, McGrady continued his great play. With Hill struggling with injuries, the Magic was a one-man show. He made his second All-Star team and First Team All-NBA while averaging 26 points per game. The Magic posted a 44–38 record for the year but they were beat again in the first round of the playoffs, this time by the Charlotte Hornets.

In the 2002–03 season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points per game and captured the NBA scoring title, becoming the youngest player to do so since the ABA-NBA merger. Despite McGrady's personal accolades, the Magic failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. In a rather infamous moment, during the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Magic (who were an #8 seed) surprisingly took a 3–1 series lead against the heavily favored #1 seed Detroit Pistons. Prior to the fifth game in Detroit, McGrady was quoted as saying that how wonderful it was to "finally be in the position to advance to the second round (of the playoffs)". Orlando, however, lost Games 5, 6, and 7 by an average of more than 20 points, and Detroit advanced to the second round.

In the 2003–04 season, he once again captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 28 points per game, and set a career high with 62 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2004. With this performance, he became the fourth player in the past 12 years to score over 60 points in a game.

Houston Rockets (2004–present)

In 2004, McGrady joined the Houston Rockets.

On June 29, 2004, McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines were traded to the Houston Rockets in a seven-player deal that sent Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Magic. In his first year with the Houston Rockets, McGrady teamed with 7'6" center Yao Ming, to end the season ranked 5th in the Western Conference. On December 9, 2004, he scored 13 points in the last 35 seconds of a game against the San Antonio Spurs, with four consecutive 3 pointers (one of which was part of a four-point play), including a steal and the game-winning 3 pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the game that helped the Rockets win 81–80.²³

Despite McGrady's play in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Houston was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in game seven by 40 points, despite starting the series with a 2-0 lead.

In the early 2005–06 season, McGrady missed eight games because of multiple back spasms. His back problems resurfaced on January 8, 2006 when he had to be taken out at halftime in a game against the Denver Nuggets on a stretcher to the hospital because of severe back spasms. He had been out for five games. Since his return, the spasms have still been a problem for McGrady. In the 2005–06 season the Rockets were 2–15 in games he did not play in and 2–16 in games McGrady did not finish. While McGrady was injured for five games with his back injury, the Rockets did not win a single game. Other injuries include him falling on his tailbone in a game against the Indiana Pacers.

Tracy McGrady, being guarded by Roger Mason, Jr. of the Washington Wizards.

In the 2006–07 season, McGrady started out slowly, and after missing 7 games with back spasms he visited a doctor. In an interview with TNT, McGrady said that he thought that his body was slowing down. He believed that he could no longer be as explosive as he was in the past due to his back injury. Shortly after another bout with back spasms, McGrady went to Waco, Texas where Dr. John Patterson performed "Synergy Release Therapy" to cure his chronic back problems, particularly the back spasms.⁴ Since Yao Ming was having another breakout season, he was deferring to Yao as the number one option.⁵ However, since Yao went down with a leg injury, McGrady stepped up his overall play, re-establishing himself as one of the game's premier players and by doing so has led Houston to the 5th best record in the league. On December 29, 2006, he became the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 14,000 points and 4,000 rebounds.⁶ However, in the playoffs, the Rockets lost their first round series to the Utah Jazz 4–3, again preventing McGrady from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. A tear fell down his cheek during the press-conference after losing game seven 103–99 to the Utah Jazz in the 2007 Playoffs.⁷ Prior to the series with the Jazz, McGrady had stated in an interview with Stephen A. Smith that if he and the Rockets failed to make it out of the first round again, it was "on me".⁸ The next year the Jazz again eliminated the Rockets in six games, despite McGrady recording 40 points and 10 rebounds in the decisive Game Six, a 113–91 loss.⁹

On February 18, 2009, McGrady announced on his website that he would have surgery on his left knee and miss the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He had already missed 18 games before the All-Star break, including a two-week stretch in January, and said before the season that his knee was not healed from his off-season surgery. Head coach Rick Adelman, who found out about the announcement when he read the newspaper in the morning, criticized McGrady for not informing the team of the decision.¹⁰ He decided to have microfracture surgery in Chicago on February 24, 2009.

McGrady is currently under a contract which will end following the 2009–10 NBA season, and the contract is worth an estimated $21.1 million per year.¹¹

Personal life

McGrady has four children—daughters Layla Clarice, Laycee Aloe, and sons Laymen Lamar, Layden—with his wife CleRenda Harris, whom he had dated for 10 years. Their first son was born on December 27, 2005 during a 82–74 loss against the Utah Jazz in which McGrady left during halftime to see his girlfriend going into labor.¹² The couple were married on September 12, 2006 in Mexico. McGrady and Vince Carter are third cousins; McGrady learned that his grandmother and Carter's grandmother were cousins at a family reunion while he was still in high school and Carter played at the University of North Carolina.¹³ The two played together with the Toronto Raptors for two years before McGrady left for free agency. After McGrady left, he and Carter had a short feud- but this was resolved in a short period of time.¹⁴

Tracy's younger brother, Chancelor "Chance" McGrady, played for the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Runner-Up Memphis Tigers basketball team, but saw limited playing time throughout his collegiate career.

In 2002, McGrady signed a lifetime partnership with Adidas, agreeing to an endorsement deal that will last through his playing career and beyond.¹⁵ He also appeared on the cover of NBA Live 07.

McGrady has traveled to the Darfurian refugee camps in Chad with John Prendergast and Omer Ismail of the ENOUGH Project. McGrady is actively recruiting NBA players to support a sister schools initiative linking schools in Darfurian refugee camps to American middle schools, high schools and universities.

Over his 12 year NBA career, McGrady has made over $137,000,000 in salary.¹⁶¹⁷

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

NBA career achievements

• 2-time NBA scoring leader: 2003 (32.1), 2004 (28.0)
• 7-time NBA All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• 7-time All-NBA:

• First Team: 2002, 2003
• Second Team: 2001, 2004, 2007
• Third Team: 2005, 2008

• NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2001

Orlando Magic franchise records

• All-Time Free Throws Made (1,819)
• Most points in one game with 62 (March 10, 2004 vs. Washington Wizards)
• Most points in one half with 37 in the first half (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most points in one quarter with 25 in the second quarter (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
• Most free throws made in one game with 18 (December 25, 2002 vs. Detroit Pistons)
• Most points in a playoff game with 45 (in Game 2 of the 2003 Eastern Conference playoffs, First Round vs. Detroit Pistons)
• Most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 26, 2004 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers)

Career achievements

• Career 40+ point games (regular season): 45
• Career 50+ point games (regular season): 4
• Career 60+ point games (regular season): 1
• Career triple-doubles (regular season): 4
• Shares NBA record for most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 26, 2004 Orlando vs. Cleveland)

See also

• List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season
• List of National Basketball Association players with 60 or more points in a game

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tracy McGrady

• Tracy McGrady's Official Website
• NBA.com profile